Cigar Weekly

trex1210 · 08-15-2007, 06:39 AM

I recently started smoking cigars again, so I am trying to get my humidor up and running again. For the past year and a half I've only had three or four cigars in it. When I would check on it I would occasionally wet my beads (two tubes), but the RH never got to where it needed to be.

The beads that I have are turning yellow, so I assumed that they were bad. I bought some more sticks yesterday at the local B&M, so I went ahead and bought a Drymistat tube. I took everything out of the humidor and wiped down the inside with a damp towel (used distilled water), and placed the Drymistat tube in there.

Almost immediately the RH jumped up to around 60-61%; however, it has gradually declined to where it sits this morning at 48%. I am using the hygrometer that came with the humidor, so I am thinking I will buy a digital today. Also, the drymistat says to use tap water, but I used distilled water to fill it.......could that make a difference?? When I had it up and running the previous time, it would hold the RH relatively well. Do humidors wear out? Or do they go bad?

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Trey

jcwbnimble · 08-15-2007, 08:31 AM

Howdy,

It just sounds like your humi is very dry. I would wipe it down one more time to help get the spanish cedar humidified again. I had a similar issue with my first humidor, which my wife purchased for me as my wedding gift back in '97.

I had stopped smoking for 4-5 years and wanted to get back into it. It took several applications of distilled water to get the humidor moist enough where it could keep a steady RH.

So, IMO humidors can't wear out, they can just get really really dry.

Good luck.

Zig2k143 · 08-15-2007, 08:34 AM

Put a shotglass of distilled water in that puppy for a week or two and everything should be ok...

Take the cigars you bought out and put them in a ziplock with a sponge with distilled water in it.. put a sandwich bag around the sponge and make lil wholes in the baggie. You'll be fine.

xrundog · 08-15-2007, 11:08 AM

First: Beads don't go bad. They will absorb some tobacco oils over time. That accounts for the color change and it's normal.

Your humidor is absorbing moisture faster than the drymistat can supply it. I agree that putting another source of moisture inside, like a shotglass of distilled water, will solve this problem. Don't be impatient. Though wiping down the inside may speed the process slightly, it may also have a negative effect on the wood. It doesn't help that much, don't do it anymore.

trex1210 · 08-15-2007, 12:35 PM

Thanks for all the replies.

I put the shot glass in. I also took the beads and put them together in a dish and sprayed them down with distilled water. Is that going to hurt having them in there with the drymistat and shot glass of distilled water? My only concern is that the beads are 65% and the drymistat is 70%........if that matters!

Let me know if I need to pull the beads.

Trey

xrundog · 08-15-2007, 01:59 PM

As another source to get RH up, I think it's okay to have both materials. Which one you pull later depends on where you want RH. If you want 70%, when it reaches 65%, pull the beads. For 65% do the reverse.

rdking · 08-15-2007, 03:15 PM

I would for sure go with a good digital hygrometer so you really know what you have. I like the ones from Heartfelt that can be calibrated. I have never seen an analog hygrometer that is reliable.

Mark

Favorite Quote:
"If you ever hope to be a credible adult and want a job that pays better than minimum wage, then for God's sake don't pierce or tattoo every available piece of flesh. If so, then plan your future around saying" Do you want fries with that?" - George Carlin

casual · 08-16-2007, 10:15 AM

Good advice here. I've read a lot of negative things about wiping the wood down. Lightly doing so shouldnt cause a problem but if you have a thin wood or inexpensive humidor it might warp the wood, or stain it. Warp is bad, stain just looks bad (unless you like the look of a stain).

trex1210 · 08-16-2007, 11:58 AM

The RH has increased quickly, so I took the shot glass of distilled water out.

I did however have three cigars that had been in there when it was really dry the past year or so. I put them in there with the dish of beads and the drymistat tube. The RH continues to climb, so I am going to get myself a digital hygrometer to make sure everything is correct.

Should I take those three cigars (I am thinking they are past reviving) out?

Thanks,
Trey

xrundog · 08-16-2007, 03:24 PM

Nah, leave them in there. Get some other smokes too. Cigars help maintain the RH stability in a humidor. You should try and keep it at least 1/2 full.

08-15-2007, 06:39 AM	#1
trex1210 Starting Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Oklahoma Posts: 42	Humidor problems I recently started smoking cigars again, so I am trying to get my humidor up and running again. For the past year and a half I've only had three or four cigars in it. When I would check on it I would occasionally wet my beads (two tubes), but the RH never got to where it needed to be. The beads that I have are turning yellow, so I assumed that they were bad. I bought some more sticks yesterday at the local B&M, so I went ahead and bought a Drymistat tube. I took everything out of the humidor and wiped down the inside with a damp towel (used distilled water), and placed the Drymistat tube in there. Almost immediately the RH jumped up to around 60-61%; however, it has gradually declined to where it sits this morning at 48%. I am using the hygrometer that came with the humidor, so I am thinking I will buy a digital today. Also, the drymistat says to use tap water, but I used distilled water to fill it.......could that make a difference?? When I had it up and running the previous time, it would hold the RH relatively well. Do humidors wear out? Or do they go bad? Any help is greatly appreciated. Trey __________________ "That there is an RV!!" - Cousin Eddie

08-15-2007, 08:31 AM	#2
jcwbnimble Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Cigar Heaven Posts: 373	Howdy, It just sounds like your humi is very dry. I would wipe it down one more time to help get the spanish cedar humidified again. I had a similar issue with my first humidor, which my wife purchased for me as my wedding gift back in '97. I had stopped smoking for 4-5 years and wanted to get back into it. It took several applications of distilled water to get the humidor moist enough where it could keep a steady RH. So, IMO humidors can't wear out, they can just get really really dry. Good luck. __________________ "There are more things of heaven and earth than are dreampt of in your philosophy" -Good Ol' Willy Shakespeare

08-15-2007, 08:34 AM	#3
Zig2k143 Club Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Gerard Rosso 163 Bear Run Drive, Drums, Pa 18222 Posts: 1,881	Put a shotglass of distilled water in that puppy for a week or two and everything should be ok... Take the cigars you bought out and put them in a ziplock with a sponge with distilled water in it.. put a sandwich bag around the sponge and make lil wholes in the baggie. You'll be fine. __________________ Charter Member, MCLC & FFF I must be a Cigar Switch. My blog on motivation http://www.afitspot.com/blog1

08-15-2007, 12:35 PM	#5
trex1210 Starting Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Oklahoma Posts: 42	Thanks for all the replies. I put the shot glass in. I also took the beads and put them together in a dish and sprayed them down with distilled water. Is that going to hurt having them in there with the drymistat and shot glass of distilled water? My only concern is that the beads are 65% and the drymistat is 70%........if that matters! Let me know if I need to pull the beads. Trey __________________ "That there is an RV!!" - Cousin Eddie

08-16-2007, 10:15 AM	#8
casual Club Member Join Date: May 2004 Location: Stuck in a cube, man!! Posts: 4,138	Good advice here. I've read a lot of negative things about wiping the wood down. Lightly doing so shouldnt cause a problem but if you have a thin wood or inexpensive humidor it might warp the wood, or stain it. Warp is bad, stain just looks bad (unless you like the look of a stain). __________________ Scot

08-15-2007, 11:08 AM	#4
xrundog Contributing Editor Herf Meister Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Central, Iowa Posts: 9,806	First: Beads don't go bad. They will absorb some tobacco oils over time. That accounts for the color change and it's normal. Your humidor is absorbing moisture faster than the drymistat can supply it. I agree that putting another source of moisture inside, like a shotglass of distilled water, will solve this problem. Don't be impatient. Though wiping down the inside may speed the process slightly, it may also have a negative effect on the wood. It doesn't help that much, don't do it anymore.

08-15-2007, 01:59 PM	#6
xrundog Contributing Editor Herf Meister Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Central, Iowa Posts: 9,806	As another source to get RH up, I think it's okay to have both materials. Which one you pull later depends on where you want RH. If you want 70%, when it reaches 65%, pull the beads. For 65% do the reverse.

08-15-2007, 03:15 PM	#7
rdking Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Newburgh, IN Posts: 492	I would for sure go with a good digital hygrometer so you really know what you have. I like the ones from Heartfelt that can be calibrated. I have never seen an analog hygrometer that is reliable. Mark Favorite Quote: "If you ever hope to be a credible adult and want a job that pays better than minimum wage, then for God's sake don't pierce or tattoo every available piece of flesh. If so, then plan your future around saying" Do you want fries with that?" - George Carlin

08-16-2007, 11:58 AM	#9
trex1210 Starting Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Oklahoma Posts: 42	The RH has increased quickly, so I took the shot glass of distilled water out. I did however have three cigars that had been in there when it was really dry the past year or so. I put them in there with the dish of beads and the drymistat tube. The RH continues to climb, so I am going to get myself a digital hygrometer to make sure everything is correct. Should I take those three cigars (I am thinking they are past reviving) out? Thanks, Trey __________________ "That there is an RV!!" - Cousin Eddie

08-16-2007, 03:24 PM	#10
xrundog Contributing Editor Herf Meister Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Central, Iowa Posts: 9,806	Nah, leave them in there. Get some other smokes too. Cigars help maintain the RH stability in a humidor. You should try and keep it at least 1/2 full.